1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus that includes a ring-shaped rotational operation member and performs a control switch in an action mode, a method of controlling the image pickup apparatus, an image pickup apparatus system including the above image pickup apparatus, and an image pickup control program that is stored in a storage medium of the image pickup apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image pickup apparatuses such as cameras for picking up a still image or a movie have been put into practical use and are widely and generally used, each of which includes a lens barrel having an image pickup optical system for forming an object image. These types of conventional image pickup apparatuses have been constantly required to be downsized in order to be convenient for carrying about, and there has been a growing trend toward multifunctionality in recent years, in order to handle various image pickup situations.
For example, this type of conventional image pickup apparatus includes a plurality of drive mechanism sections for driving each of a plurality of optical lenses configuring the image pickup optical system depending on purposes as appropriate, and performs a drive control to the plurality of drive mechanisms to achieve a zooming function, a focus adjusting function, and the like. In addition, a ring-shaped rotational operation member is provided in a body of the image pickup apparatus, an exterior portion of the lens barrel, or the like such that a user freely performs these various functions at the user's request. Then, this ring-shaped rotational operation member is used for a zoom control or a focus control, as well as used for changing an image pickup parameter to change an effect in picking up an image, such as an f number, a shutter speed value, an exposure compensation value, a white balance, and an image processing parameter setting.
Hence, with respect to the conventional image pickup apparatuses, whereas there are increasing demands for items to be operated, quick operations, coarse adjustment or fine adjustment, and the like, it becomes difficult to understand which control is to be performed by which operation.
Thus, for the lens barrels in the conventional image pickup apparatuses, instead of conventional annular-shaped turning operation members, various proposals have been put forth by, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-117444, with respect to an operation member having a form different from the conventional operation members.
A lens barrel in an image pickup apparatus disclosed by the above Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-117444 includes a touchpad disposed therein as an operation member to be provided on the lens barrel, instead of the conventional form of turning operation members, so as to increase freedom of design.